PPS – A Partner for Women-owned Businesses, Fostering Their Growth PotentialPPS held a meeting with representatives of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association at its Metropolitan Seoul branch on August 23. During the meeting, various strategies to support the growth of women-owned businesses were discussed.   In response, PPS announced plans to expand central procurement for contracts under 100 million KRW among socially disadvantaged companies and strengthen collaboration with public institutions and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups for the better adherence to the mandatory preferential purchase ratio policy for female-owned businesses.   Additionally, the meeting addressed various topics such as introduction of bonus points for certifications related to serious accident prevention, and the extensive operation of the reporting center for unfair practices by user organizations.   At present, PPS is supporting women-owned businesses with various policies including additional points in eligibility assessments, preferential treatment for the MAS(Multiple Award Schedule) 2nd competition and the operation of a mall dedicated to certified companies for social responsibility.  President Lee Jeong-han of the association requested PPS for further revitalization of preferential purchase of products made by female-owned companies for broader sales channels. PPS Administrator Lim Ki-keun stated, "We will spare no effort in supporting the boundless growth potential and technological innovation of women-owned businesses. We encourage the active use of the Public Procurement Guide system and welcome ongoing feedback on regulatory adjustment needed in the field."      The Public Procurement Guide system is a one-stop customized consulting service that provides essential information at each government procurement stage.      

PPS Strengthening Green Design Review for Public BuildingsPPS has announced that starting from July 2024, it will mandate the review of green design aspects by environmental consultants for large-scale projects valued at 20 billion won or more. This new measure is part of the agency's efforts to enhance the review of energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction, and other environmental considerations in public building designs.  Design appropriateness reviews involve assessing whether the project's purpose, scale, and budget align with its goals at each stage of planning, interim, and final design. The central procurement agency has been the sole government body conducting such reviews since 2013.    The green design consultants, selected from certification bodies and related industry experts, will evaluate the effectiveness of energy conservation and renewable energy applications in the target projects. This strengthened focus on environmental design is expected to reduce energy consumption, conserve resources, promote recycling, preserve natural environments, and improve indoor conditions for public buildings.  Kang Seong-min, Director General of the Construction Works Bureau, stated, "To effectively address environmental issues such as global warming, we will continue to strengthen our green design review processes for public buildings."